Honda S2000 (99-09) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 07 September 2009
The S2000 is the car that Honda built to celebrate its 50th birthday and it compares well to more expensive alternatives like the Porsche Boxster in terms of performance and driving enjoyment. It's powered by a superb 2.0-litre VTEC engine which provides stunning performance without using a turbocharger. It does need to be worked very hard though in order to tap into the maximum performance, which can make for tiring albeit involving driving experience. The handling is superb thanks to sharp steering and immense grip, however it can be unpredictable when pushed too hard, particularly in the wet.
4 out of 5

Other Honda reviews

2.5 out of 5

Running costs

Two-seat roadsters are rarely cheap to run and the S2000 is no exception. While servicing rates at Honda dealers should be reasonable, the car does require maintenance every 9,000 miles. Insurance is group 20 - the highest rating, while the VTEC engine will return just 28mpg.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

9000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/90,000 miles mechanical, six years bodywork.

Road tax (12 months)

£220.00 - £460.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

1.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    236
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The S2000 scores badly on the eco front and the VTEC engine emits 236g/km of CO2 while only managing 28mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2